Page 14 of After Class

"God you look beautiful," he breathed. He uncuffed my hands at last, so I was free to scoot forward on the bed as he climbed behind me. His hand tangled up in my hair, pulling my face gently to the side as he pressed against me, then suddenly stopped.

"Shit," he said, sounding genuinely upset.

"What is it?" I asked softly.

"Condoms. I bought a pack earlier but I . . . they're still in my car."

I thought about it for a moment. Although my release had been achieved, I still ached for him. I wanted him inside me.

"I'm on birth control," I said. I had never stopped taking the pill after Ethan and I broke up. It had become such a habit that I really hadn't even thought about it.

Adrian rubbed at the base of my skull through my hair, a heavenly feeling. "Are you sure? I'm clean, but are you sure you're comfortable with this?"

I smiled, my eyes closed in bliss. I had never been more comfortable in life. "Yes, sir. I'm sure."

I knew he was smiling despite my eyes being closed. "I can't wait to take you, Cass." He trailed kisses down my back, still asserting his dominance with his firm hand on my head. I shivered under his affection, smiling at every gentle brush of his lips. His hands squeezed my tender cheeks, holding me as he began to press into me slowly. He moaned, so low and with such pleasure that it made my breathing quicken again. He felt exquisite inside me.

Hunching low over my back, he grasped one hand around my throat as he thrust into me. His rough breathing in my ear sent tingles down my spine. A gasp escaped him, and he said suddenly, tightly, "I want to come inside you, Cass."

Oh fuck yes.I pressed back against him eagerly and he groaned at my enthusiasm, his entire body tensing as he found release within me. Hot, sweaty, and heavy, he collapsed atop me and then rolled aside so I could breathe.

After several moments of our own tired panting, he glanced over at me and I at him.

"Wow," was all I could manage besides a tiny giggle. He smiled widely, reaching over to play with my mussed hair and softly kiss my forehead.

"This," he said, grinning mischievously, "Is going to be a fun secret to keep."

CHAPTER SEVEN

Maya knew something was up. She knew it in the way that all naturally nosey people know it: they just have some kind of supernatural sense for juicy gossip. She had been texting me in an effort to meet up for days, and I finally gave in Sunday evening. We met at the Leaf and Bean, a small coffee shop downtown in between a florist and a book shop. It was one of those places that played acoustic indie music and always had at least one or two beanie-wearing bespectacled individuals sitting in a cushy chair with their Mac laptop.

Maya tried to be sly, asking coy "how-are-you-holding-up?" questions as we ordered our lattes. But I could tell by her tight smile that she was nearly exploding with curiosity. It gave me such a thrill to know I had this secret, especially when I sat down and my bottom burned softly at the contact with a hard surface. I tried to hide the irresistible urge to bite my lip behind my coffee cup as I thought of Adrian's firm hands, his commands, the perfect control with which he brought my body to complete submission.

He had been right, too. With the rush of hormones flooding through my veins after our tryst, sharing another hour layingat ease in bed with him, Ihadfelt strong. I had felt sexy and powerful.

"So where have youbeen, Casszy?" Maya said suddenly, snapping me out of my daydreams. She had been saying something about a hot guy in one of her classes, or at least I thought she had. Now her smile was frozen on her face, halfway between concern and fascination. I feigned confusion.

"What do you mean?" I said innocently, sipping my coffee.

"You've just been so hard to get ahold of lately," she said, shrugging as if it didn't really matter. "Ever since we out to Bailey's I haven't really seen you." Her eyes suddenly widened, and she looked at me in horror. "Oh my god.Oh my god.You're not back with Ethan are you?"

"Oh god, no,no, Maya," I said, probably looking like I had swallowed a lemon. "It's nothing like that. I'm just busy with classes is all."

With her fear calmed, she narrowed her eyes at me suspiciously. "Oh really? At midnight on a Saturday?"

I blinked dumbly. "What?"

"Oh god, Cass, I'm sorry, this is gonna make me sound like a creep!" Maya scrunched up her face and said softly, as if ashamed. "After I texted you asking if you wanted dinner last night, I decided that I'd just go drop it off at your house since you didn't answer. It was only because I still have your key anyway and I know you haven't really been eating or cooking or doing . . . anything really." She was leaning so far forward she was out of her seat, her eyes wide and her whisper almost a hiss in her excitement. "I wanted to wait a little bit for you to get home so I stayed and played with Charlie. And youstillweren't home at midnight, Cass!"

I laughed nervously. My dear friend was slightly crazy, I would admit it. But at least it was a caring kind of crazy. "You waited at my house untilmidnight?"

"Well I fell asleep," she said with a little pout. "But Cass, you can't try to tell me that you were "studying" or that you went out by yourself,withoutme. Who is it Cass?Pleasetell me, it's driving me crazy! You know I won't judge you, you can get with whoever you want! Is he older? Younger? Married? Or- oh my god, is it a woman? Did Ethan make you go lesbian? Not that I'd blame you." She shrugged. "Whatever you want to do, girl." Finished, she sighed, slightly red in the face from her outburst, and waited patiently for my response.

"I don't think you can just "go lesbian," Maya," I said. "But that's not it." I pressed my lips together, carefully considering just how much I could say. "Okay . . . it is a guy-"

Maya squealed. "Oh my god Iknewit! Who is it? Do I know him?"

The thought fluttered into my head that Adrian would probably consider it naughty to be telling someone about us. Thatmade me think of the spanking he would probably give me for something like this. I squirmed and let out a quick sigh. Maya's eyes widened.

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